Albion appoint Mullen

BRIGHTON & HOVE Albion Football Club have announced the appointment of former Football Association executive Paul Mullen as head of football administration.

Albion have also announced that finance director David Jones will assume wider responsibilities as the club’s newly appointed finance and operations director.

While Paul Winstanley has been confirmed as head of recruitment to complete a re-organisation following a review of the club’s senior management and football structures.

Jones and Winstanley take up their new positions immediately. Mullen will join Albion on 10th April from BC Soccer, Canada’s largest provincial football association, where he is currently executive director.

Chief executive Paul Barber commented, “Further to our management changes in December, we undertook a full review of our structure and in particular our football operations. We also looked closely at our internal processes during the January transfer window.

“As a result, we’ve chosen not to replace David Burke directly. Instead, we have opted to split David’s former responsibilities into two distinct areas: football administration and player recruitment.

“Paul Mullen will look after the football administration areas of David’s former role and he will have primary responsibility for the day-to-day running of the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre.

“Paul will also take responsibility for our education, welfare and player services, women’s football, kit and equipment departments, as well as the grounds maintenance and catering areas at Lancing.”

Mullen has spent his entire career to date working in professional sport. He is a former apprentice professional footballer with Sheffield Wednesday FC, an FA-qualified coach, and he held senior administrative and commercial roles with The FA and Octagon.

More recently, Mullen has been leading BC Soccer, one of Canada’s largest provincial football associations, as its executive director, having previously managed the organisation’s strategic partnership with local MLS side Vancouver Whitecaps.

Explaining the other critical area of the club’s restructure, Barber added, “Paul Winstanley will continue to work with Chris Hughton, the chairman and myself on our player recruitment having already done a very good job on this front in the January transfer window.

“As part of this role, Paul will also take direct responsibility for our analysis and scouting areas.”

Winstanley joined Albion from Derby County FC in 2014. Prior to that he spent several years at Wigan Athletic FC where he supported Paul Jewell and his staff with detailed player analysis.

David Jones, a chartered accountant and a member of the club’s board, joined Albion in 2012. In addition to his finance responsibilities, Jones will oversee the supporter services, facilities management and health and safety areas, and manage the club’s relationship with catering partner, Sodexo.